Oriel Ferguson, Helen Kelly, Mohammed Yaqub, Maura Greene and Jill Weir (Unison Branch Secretary) protesting at South West Acute Hospital against car parking charges and fines RMG10
NEW parking measures introduced at South West Acute Hospital have sparked deep concern among staff members. Members of the Unionson Trade Union took to the hospital carpark on Monday to protest against the measures being introduced.
Although the Western Trust has given assurances to this paper that it is not planning to introduce charges at its main carpark it has announced that it has recruited an outside company to patrol the carpark, and staff fear this will lead to charges.
Earlier this week staff mounted a protest outside the hospital to voice their concerns.
“It’s about saying no to fines – Fix the car parking problems by providing enough spaces for staff and public. No to car parking charges and to proposed price increases – Staff have not had a proper pay rise in many years,” a spokesman said.
Throughout the whole consultation process we have voiced our opposition to the car parking charges and proposal of punishments and now there is the threat of increased charges soon to 80p an hour. The Trust have not listened to our voiced concerns.” said a Unison spokesman.
While the Trust has confirmed that a third party company will operate on the hospital site, they have said there is no change to the current allocation of free and paid car parking spaces on the South West Acute Hospital site.
The Trust says there are currently 832 free spaces and 146 paid spaces on the site. The new procedures are in place to prevent unauthorised parking and to Improve traffic management on the hospital site.
While the Western Trust has claimed that the charges within the car park at SWAH will remain the same, Benny Cassidy, an employee at South West Hospital believes that the Western Trust needs more spaces to cater for all the workers, patients and visitors.
“There simply is not enough car parking spaces at the hospital. The staff space allocation is totally insufficient meaning that staff who work late start shifts or come and go during their shift will inevitably have to pay charges and this was clearly demonstrated by the staff spaces filled by 9am.
“I am a band 2 worker which means I am low paid, I haven’t had a pay rise in years and this year the 1% pay award one penny on the pound for some staff hasn’t been paid out yet. 70p per hour is extremely high and results in yet a further hit to my pay packet.
“There is far too much greenery and it costs a fortune to maintain, I suggest that it should be surfaced it and turn it into parking spaces and non paying ones at that. I do not believe anyone should have to pay as no-one is at the hospital unless they have legitimate business there and I think it is immoral to make money from the staff, the sick or their relatives.”
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